Bananas last 10 days longer without turning brown if stored with 1 kitchen item

Bananas are my favourite fruit to eat at breakfast. I love spreading them on toast or adding them to porridge, but I am often reluctant to buy a bunch as they spoil so quickly. I noticed that my bananas were turning spotty and beginning to rot after just a day, which not only wastes money but, in summer, can attract lots of annoying fruit flies to your kitchen. 

I nearly gave up on this sweet yellow fruit until one day, I accidentally left my bananas out on the counter while unloading the shopping. The next morning, I noticed they looked much fresher and more vibrant, as it turns out, storing bananas in a fruit bowl might actually be one of the worst places for them.

After doing some research, I discovered that bananas are highly sensitive to ethylene, a colourless and odourless gas that most fruit produces. 

Ethylene gas helps fruit ripen naturally to develop its flavour, but when too much is concentrated in one area, it can cause all fruit nearby to begin ripening at an accelerated rate. 

Bananas produce a lot of ethylene, which is why they decay so quickly, but other fruit, such as apples, oranges, and avocados, will also speed up spoilage if stored nearby. 

Storing bananas in a fruit bowl may seem like the obvious place to put them, but this method quickly turns them mushy and gooey. 

I have since moved my bananas to a corner of my kitchen worktop, where they stay fresh a week longer. However, I have also discovered an even better way to extend their shelf life.

Bananas will release ethylene gas no matter where you keep them, but you can slow down production if you wrap up their stems. 

I read online that bananas produce ethylene gas from their stems, and a very simple way to keep them fresh for longer is to cover them up with tin foil or film. 

Cling film and tinfoil are more airtight and can be wrapped firmly around bananas to prevent most ethylene gas from entering the air. 

However, I have learned the hard way that other common kitchen wraps, like baking paper, are too breathable and will not seal the stems, so they will not affect ethylene. 

Almost two weeks ago, I decided to try this simple technique and wrapped up the stems of a bunch of newly bought bananas, and now, after 10 days, they are still great to eat.

A few days ago, I noticed that one banana that accidentally broke off from the bunch was getting a little spotty, so it is better to keep the fruit bunched together rather than pulling them apart.

I have also found out online that once bananas have ripened, you can store them in the fridge, as the cold can greatly slow down the ripening process. 

It should be noted that cold temperatures almost completely stop ripening, so do not store green bananas in the fridge. They will never get a chance to develop properly. 

I decided to place the spotty banana in the fridge so I can have it with lunch this week, and while it is looking a little worse for wear, it is still yellow and fresh. 

I have read online that storing bananas in a cold environment will cause the peel to turn black while the fruit inside still remains fresh, since they are grown in a hot environment.

However, after a few days, my spotty banana is still yellow and the peel has not begun to discolour at all. The only downside to the fridge method is that it takes up a little more room on the shelf, so I had to find somewhere else to store my grapes. 

Properly storing bananas is incredibly easy, and I cannot believe how much money I have wasted by not taking the time to research food storage. 

All you need is a little tinfoil, and your bananas will stay fresh for almost two weeks longer than if you had simply tossed them in a fruit basket.